Heating and humidifying attachment for bassinets



J. W. BOREN Dec. 19, 1944.

HEATING AND HUMIDIFYING ATTACHMENT FOR BASSINETS 2 Sheets-Sheet l FiledJune 23, 1942 225 Zio@ J. w. BOREN 2,365,243

HEATING AND 'HUMIDIFYING ATTACHMENT FOR BASSINETS Dec. 19, 1944.

Filed June 23, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 19, 1944 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE HEATING AND HUMIDIFYING ATTACHMENT FORBASSINETSJohn Wm. Boren, Marinette, Wis. Application June 23, 1342, Serial No.448,119

7 Claims.. (Cl. 12S- 1) This inventionrelatesy to improvements inheating and humidifying?. attachments for bassinets and it consists,ofjthe matters hereinafter described and more vparticularlypointed outin the appended claims.

One type of bassinet, asusedin hospital nurseries consists of Wanelongatedfopentop basket shape body yhavingatv least some openings in,the bottom, imperioratesideand endiwalls and a removable cover. for*the` open topr usually providedwith agdoored opening` for thecirculation.

.bottom of the bassinetvr with a sealing Iaction against the sideand end`-walls of the bassinet, and at the same time permit of ,a limitedcirculation of 'air ;through'-the.ibase `when thesame is necessary.-

A1so;it is an .object oi.V the invention to provide a unit of this kindwhich'g-when inoperative positionin av bassinet,y will' affordthe properdegree of lwarmth andhuxnidity'-foranew born infant` placed therein;l

Again, itis an objectof the ,invention to provide a unit of .thiskind-which may be `folded to occupy but a substantiallysmall-space forstorage but whichjmayquic'klydbe unfoldedor opened up into van extendedVconditionsready rfor application to a conventional bassinet so as toconvert it into i an incubator.`

' of a lower height at its foot end than at its headThe*abovementionedobjects of the invention,

along wlthothersfas `well asth'e several advantages thereof willfmorefullyvappear as I proceed with my speciiication.

In the drawings:-A

Fig'. 1 is' aflongitudinalvertical 'sectional view through abassinet towhich'my-improved attachment has beenxappliedfto lconvert the same intoan incubator;` said-attachment vappearing `in side 1 elevation therein.

Fig.` 2'is a kYongitudinal.'vertical sectional view through theattachment 'on-a scale Venlarged over that kof Fig. landjastakenonj'thelinea-2 Vofl` Fig. 3.

Fig, 3 .is ahorizontalsectional view through a part oftheattachmentxasztaken onthe line 3*3 of Fig; 2.

Fig. 4is Aa transverse vertical. sectional view through a part of theattachment, on an enlarged scale over that of Figs. 2 and 3, as taken onthe line 4--4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a certain switch forming apart of theimproved attachment `and which will be more fully referred to later.

Referring now in detail to that embodiment `of the invention illustratedin the drawings and] more particularly to Fig. 1,'there is illustratedtherein a type Aof hospital nursery bassinet, ythe open top body I0 ofwhich includes a perforate bottom II and upright side and end Walls I2and I3 respectively, preferably made of transparent plastic material.The top and bottom edges of` the side walls are bound byframes orheadings I4 and I5 respectively, held in spaced relation by upright barsI6.' The bottom i I is fixed at its edges as by welding to the frame orbeading I5' and its mid portion is supported upon transverse bars Il`iixed'at the ends to the parts of the beading I5.'associated with theside walls of the body. The open top of the body receives a detachablecover I8. Toward the head end of the bodysaid cover'has an'opening I9.door20 is associated 'wthsaid opening and is so carried A,by the cover,k`that it'may be'moved to determine the effective area-0f said openingorto close the same entirely. l i

The body of the bassinet illustrated is made end, although this is notan essential part of the present invention, beinga feature disclosed andclaimed in myvprior application SqN." 365,173.'

Generally a removable pad or cushion 2I '(shown in dotted'lines inFig. 1) is disposed upon the bottom II thereof.` Thispad or cushion isof substantially the same width as the bottom I I but issomewhatshorterk than `said bottom, as best appears in; Fig. 1; When said pad isin place upon said-bottom, one end thereof is disposed against ltheheadend wall ofthe body and this spacesthe Yotherend of saidpad fromythe foot' end wall of the bodyto leave an uncovered part oftheperforatebottom'at the foot'end ofthe body-for the entrance of air upthrough the same.

When the improved heating and humidiiying attachment is made Yforusein', connection with a Abassinet body as above described, it includes agenerallyr imperforate panel-like member 25. This member is Vof `v4anarea approximating that of the bottoml II of the body and it rests yuponsaid bottom whenVv the attachmentk is disposed or has been placed in thebassinet; The edge of saidmember-25is bound'with a strip of rubber'k Asliding j or the like 26 for a sealing engagement with the associatedpart of the side and end walls of the body as appears in Fig. 1.

The member is preferably made of a sheet material other than metal. Tomake it easier to place in and remove from a bassinet body as well as toreduce its area for storage purposes, said member is made in sections soconnected together as to be extended into its maximum area or contractedinto its minimum area. As best shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the member 25 ismade to consist of a head end part 25a and a foot end part 25h, each ofwhich is of an area approximating one-half of the extended area. Theseparts are connected together at one end by hinges 25e on what is thebottom side of the member when it is in its extended condition. Thispermits the head end part 25a to be folded under the foot end part 25Das appears in dotted lines in Fig. 2 so as to reduce said member to itsminimum area. For easein handling these two parts of said member 25 asa. unit, I provide handle loop 27 of tape or webbing on the top surfaceof the hinge line end of the part 2517.

On the foot end of the part 25h and spaced from the free edge of thehead end part 25a, a distance substantially equalling the length of thepad or cushion 2| I provide an upright transverse barrier 28. Thisbarrier is adapted for engagement by the foot end of the pad to preventits accidental shifting toward the foot end of the body when the deviceis placed in the bassinet as appears in Fig. l.

Between the barrier 28 and associated edge of the part 25h is located awater evaporating means 29 in the form of a transversely extending, opentop pan. This pan rests upon or may be made integral with a metal block30 which is bored out to receive a pair of pencil-like electricalheating elements 3l and 32 respectively. Opposite ends of this blockhave attached thereto L shaped brackets 33, (see Fig. 4), the outer endsof which are fixed to posts 34 rising from the member 25D. As shown insaid Fig. 4, these posts are in the form of screws carrying coactingnuts 35 engaging the top and bottom surfaces of said brackets. Bymanipulating the nuts, the height of the pan and block mentioned; abovethe part 25h, may be adjusted as is obvious.

Beneath said pan and block and resting on the member 25h is an open toppan-like element 36 of an area larger than that of the pan to catch suchwater as may overflow from the pan. This pan has end extension flanges31-31 through which the screws 34 extend and on each screw is a nut 38to clamp the element 36 in position.

The pan 29, the block 30 and the element 36 are disposed within the areaof a deilecting hood or chimney 39, as is best shown in Figs. 2 and 3.This hood, which is of a suitable double walled, insulated construction,is open at its bottom as at 4D and is open at its top 4l which isdirected in a general longitudinal and downward direction toward thepart 25a. The open bottom 40 is disposed at an elevation below that ofthe pan 29 and heater block 30 and above that of the part 25h so as topermit the entrance of air into the bottom end 49 of the hood orchimney. Each side of said hood is provided at its bottom end with alateral flange 42 and a pair of screws 43, upstanding from the member25h passes through each flange. Nuts 44 are disposed upon each screw andare engaged with the top and bottom surfaces of the respective flanges.By manipulating these nuts, the bottom of said hood may be adjusted inelevation and by adjusting the nuts on onlyl certain ones of saidscrews, a limiting tilting may be had for the hood as a whole to providea better directional effect for the outlet 4I.

In each corner of the member 25h more directly associated with the partsjust mentioned, I provide an opening 45 and a cover plate 46 therefor.Each cover plate is pivotally mounted on a screw 41 with which a wingnut 48 is associated. By loosening the wing nut 48, each cover plate maybe swung about its screw to expose any part of the associated opening orto entirely close the same. In one instance in Fig. 3 a cover plate 46is disposed in a position entirely closing its hole 45 and in anotherinstance the cover plate is in a substantially wide open position.

To provide for the discharge of water into the pan 29, a metal tube 49of small diameter is employed. One end of said tube is made as agooseneck 50 to discharge into the pan 29 from above. The other end ofsaid tube, passes under the hood 39 and then down through the adjacenthole 45 in the part 25h so as to extend down through one of the openingsin the perforate bottom I i of the bassinet body. At a point below saidbottom, one end of a flexible tube 5| has a slip on connection with thetube 49, while the other end is connected to a reservoir 52 in the formof a conveniently located bottle disposed at an elevation above that ofthe pan 29. On said tube 5| near the bottle, I provide a clamp 53 andwhereby the amount of water flowing from said bottle into the pan may becontrolled. Preferably the feed of water to the pan is drop-bydrop.However, if the pan should overflow, the excess falls into the pan 36.

The pan 36 has connected thereto a metal tube 54 for the drainage ofwater therefrom. This tube also passes through the same opening 45 inthe part 25 as the tube 49 before mentioned and may have attachedthereto a flexible tube 55 of rubber leading to a suitable receiver.

The heating elements 3|32 have one end of an electric conductor 56connected thereto. The other end of said conductor leads to a portableswitch box 51 (see Figs. 1 and 5). This switch box is provided with apair of hooks 58 whereby the switch box may be hung at a suitable pointfrom the top frame or beading I4 upon the outside of the body of thebassinet. The switch box is provided With two switch actuators 59 and50, one for each heating element 3l and 32, and a. cord 6I has one endattached to the switch box and its other end carries a plug forinsertion into a suitable socket of a power supply line. By manipulatingone switch or the other, two different degrees of heat may be obtainedfor evaporation purpose and by actuating both switches simultaneously,the combined heating effect of both elements may be obtained. Thus threedegrees of heat are provided.

[It is to be noted from Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings that one end ofthe means or pan 29 extends beyond the associated end of the heatingelements 3I-32 to provide an overhang, in the bottom of which areopenings 29a through which water may drip from said means or pan intothe pan-like element 36. Thus should current be shut off from theheating elements 3l-32 while water is flowing through the tube 5I, saidwater will drip through the said openings into the panlike element 36.

To convertI a'bassinet asbefore mentioned, into an incubator by means ofthe improved device y hereinbefore described, the following procedureis.- desired, the heating feature alone may be advany carried out,assuming of course that the coverr i8 and the cushion 2| have beenremoved from the body I0. When the device is in the folded con-y ditionbefore mentioned the parts 25a-25h are swung` about the hinges 26 intothe open or extended position shown in full lines in Figs. 2 and 3. Withsaid parts in this position, the device is inserted into the bassinetbody through its open top, with the hood end of the device associatedwith the foot end of said body so` as to engage the panel-like member 25upon the perforate bottom. Adownward hand pressure imposed upon themargin of the panel-like element will force ity into a position whereinthe strip 26 will eiTect a sealing engagement with the bottom part ofthe side and end walls of the body. In so inserting said member inplace, the ends of the tubes 48 and 54 which pass through the hole 45 inthe part 25h will project through certain openings in the bottom of thebody of the bassinet. The tube 5l kis then slipped onto the end of thetube 49 and the drain tube 55 is slipped onto the tube 54. The switch 51is then hooked onto the top frame or beading part M, associated with thefoot end wall of the body, so that it is disposed upon the outsidethereof and easy of access. Thereafter, the plug for the cord 6| isengaged in a` socket of an electrical outlet.

The pad 2| is then replaced in the body upon the members a'and 25h withone end engaged against the barrier 28 and a pillow (see Fig. 1) may beplaced in position should the attendant believe the same to benecessary. The infant may now be placed uponthe pad or cushion with itsfeet facing the barrier 28. cover I8 is replaced upon the body as inFig. 1.

By manipulating the clamp 53 on the tube 5|y water will flow from thebottle, which is disposed at an elevation above the pan 29, and willdrip from the gooseneck into said pan. switch 51 has been actuated toenergize either one or both of the elements 3| and 32 in the block 30,the latter will heat the water asy it drips into ,the pan, to vaporizeit. By reason of the hood 39, air will enter the bottom 49 and will passout through the top 4| thereof. In .its passage thro-ugh the hood, theal1' will absorb the water vapor thus generated and will also becomewarmed to the proper temperature. This may be determined by suitableindicating instruments (not shown), disposed in the body I0 and visiblefrom the outside through the transparent side and end Walls thereof.

By manipulating the clamp 53 and switch box 51, the proper temperatureand humidity may be maintained in the body l. The amount of air enteringthe body with respect to the vapor generated in the hood is controlledby the door 20.

It is to be noted from Fig. 2 of the drawings that the upper portion ofthat wall of the hood 39 below the outlet 4| is curved upwardly andrearwardly to overhang the heating elements 3| and 32. This forms arestricted passage in the upper rear portion of the hood that ares intothe outlet 4|. Such a construction speeds up the passage of the warmhumidified air through the hood so that it is carried well toward thehead end of the bassinet. The return circulation of air to the interiorof the bassinet is accelerated by ythe openings 45-45 before mentioned.Thus a fairly rapid gravity method of circulating warm humidied air isemployed and which maintains an even temperature throughout thebassinet.

It will be understood that if humidity is not Thereafter, the

When the" body I0.

upwardly thereon, the parts-25a25b will foldu `bodying therein asubstantially tageously used.

Should it be` desired again to vuse the bassineti incubator as abassinet, the cover I8 is removed from the body so that the attendanthas free access to remove the infant. The pad 2| is then removed.Thereafter the tubes 5| and 55 areslipped off the tubes 49 and 54 andthe switch box 51 is unhooked from the frame I4 of the By grasping thehandle 21 and lifting together and the entire device may be readilylifted from the bassinet body. Thereafter the cushion 2| is replaced inthe body and the bassinet is then ready to again receive the infant.

It is apparent that in a hospital nursery where a considerable number ofbassinets are employed,

any one thereof may be converted into an ncubator in a very short time.Thus the number of the devices necessary with respect to the number ofbassinets in such a nursery may be relatively small because it is notnecessary that every bassinet in the nursery be converted into anincubator at the same time.

The device is simple and compact in construction and is relativelyinexpensive. It fulfills a much needed want in hospital nurseries. It islight in weight and may be readily applied to and removed from abassinet body by an `inexperienced attendant.

While in describing the invention I have referred in detail to the form,arrangement and construction of the parts involved, the same is to beconsidered only in the illustrative sense and therefore I do not wish tobe limited thereto except as may be specifically set forth in theappended claims.

l2 claim as my invention:

l. A device of the kind described and emimperforate panel-like basemember, water evaporating means disposed at one end of said base member,heating means associated with said evaporating means so as to evaporatethe water deliveredthereto, means for controlling said heating means,and a hood on said base member and substantially enclosing saidevaporating means and said heating means and arranged to take in air atan elevation below that of said evaporating means and to discharge it atan elevation above that of said evaporating means and in the generaldirection of the other end of said base member.

2. A device of the kind described and embodying therein a substantiallyimperforate panel-like base member comprising parts hingedly connectedtogether so as to be swung from a superposed folded position providingone area for the base member, to an open extended position providing alarger area, water evaporating means disposed upon one of said parts,heating means associated with said evaporating means so as to evaporatethe water delivered thereto, means for controlling said heating means,and a hood also mounted on said one of said parts of the base member andsubstantially enclosing said evaporating means and said heating meansand arranged to take in air at an elevation below that of saidevaporating means and to discharge it at an elevation above that of saidevaporating means in the general direction of the other end of said basemember.

3. In combination with the open top body of a bassinet having aperforate bottom, upright side and end walls and means including/acontrollable air outlet for closing the open top of the body, meansadapted to be removably placed in the body and embodying therein asubstantially imperorate panel-like member adapted to engage upon thebottom of said body, means carried by the marginal portion of saidmember adapted for a sealing engagement with the side and the end wallsof the body, water evaporating means disposed at one end of said member,controllable means for delivering Water to said evaporating means,heating means associated with said evaporating means so as to evaporatethe water delivered thereto, means for controlling said heating means,and a hood substantially enclosing said evaporating means and saidheating means and arranged to take in air at an elevation below that ofthe evaporating means and to discharge it at an elevation above that ofthe said evaporating means and in the general direction of the other endof said member.

4. In combination With the open top body of a bassinet having aperforate bottom, upright side and end Walls and means including acontrollable air outlet for closing the open top of the body, meansadapted to be removably placed in the body and embodying therein asubstantially imperforate panel-like member adapted to engage upon thebottom of said body, said member-having at least one air inlet openingtherethrough, means carried by said member and operable to control thearea of said opening or to entirely close the same, Water evaporatingmeans disposed at one end of said member, controllable means fordelivering water to said evaporating means, heating means associatedwith said evaporating means so as to evaporate the water deliveredthereto, means for controlling said heating means, and a hoodsubstantially enclosing said evaporating means and said heating meansand arranged to take in air at an elevation below that of saidevaporating means and to discharge it at an elevation above that of saidevaporating means and in the general direction of the other end of saidmember.

5. In combination with the open top body of a bassinet having aperforate bottom, upright side and end Walls and means including acontrollable air outlet for closing the open top of the body. lmeansadapted to be removably placed in the body and embodying therein asubstantially imperforate panel-like member adapted to engage upon thebottom of said body, said panel-like member comprising parts soconnected together as to be manipulated from one relative positionproviding one area to another relative position providing another area,water evaporating means disposed upon one of said parts, controllablemeans for delivering water to said evaporating means, heating meansassociated with said evaporating means so as to evaporate the Waterdelivered thereto, means for controlling said heating means, and a hoodalso mounted on said one of said parts substantially enclosing saidevaporating means and said heating means and arranged to take in air atan elevation below that of said evaporating means and -to discharge itat an elevation above that of said evaporating means in the generaldirection of one end of the bassinet body.

6. A device of the kind described and embodying therein asubstantiallyimperforate panellike base member, water evaporating means disposed atone end of said base member, heating means associated with saideVa-porating means so as to evaporate the Water delivered thereto, meansfor controlling said heating means, a. hood on said base member andsubstantially enclosing said evaporating means and said heating meansand having an inlet opening arranged to take in air at an elevationbelow that of said evaporating means and having an outlet opening .abovethat of said evaporating means and ar-

